College Town. City Life.

The Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s presentation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel, is now playing. Image courtesy the KC Rep.

UMKC’s weekly arts and culture roundup

Every week, the University of Missouri-Kansas City offers an array of on-campus activities. It’s nothing new. UMKC has a long legacy of hosting countless culturally enriching events. These activities are part of what has made UMKC an arts and culture powerhouse. The influence of UMKC-based and UMKC-trained artists extends well beyond the campus’ edge, so their activities are listed here as well.

Featured Event: Carousel

Excitement is building for the Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s presentation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel, directed by Kyle Hatley, the theatre’s associate artistic director.

This is the musical theatre event that sparked delight in the hearts of audience members and critics alike when it was first presented in 2011 by The Living Room (TLR), one of Kansas City’s most imaginative small theatre companies. The Rep is bringing TLR’s re-envisioned Carousel to the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center’s Spencer Theatre for a second production.

The Rep’s well-known theatrical craftsmanship, under the creative guidance of Hatley and TLR artistic director Rusty Sneary, has transformed the 650-seat Spencer Theatre into an intimate, 400-seat theatre-in-the-round to tell the universal story of love, longing and sacrifice.

Eric Rosen,artistic director of the Rep, has described TLR as “young, scrap­py, fiercely determined, collabora­tive, and endlessly inventive.”

“The Living Room is more than just a theatre — it is a collection of young artists whose sense of ensemble and commitment has formed a home for dozens of emerging and established KC theatre artists. Kyle and his collaborators found a way to make this show ache with meaning, emo­tion, and intense musical power, thanks to a theatrical vocabulary that took the story down to its most elemental roots,” Rosen said.

What: The Kansas City Repertory Theatre presents: Carousel. The Rep’s Associate Artistic Director Kyle Hatley and The Living Room, one of Kansas City’s most imaginative small theater companies, are bringing their beautifully re-envisioned production of Carousel to Spencer Theatre for a second production, complete with “in-the round” seating. Carousel tells a universal story of love, longing, and doing our utmost for the people we care about, even if it leads to difficult choices with tragic outcomes.Where: Spencer Theatre, Olson Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.When: Through March 31.UMKC Connection: The KC Rep is UMKC’s professional theatre in-residence.Get more details.

Friday, March 15 – Thursday, March 21

What: “Santa Muerte” is a new exhibition concentrating on the dramatic increase in violence that has taken place over the past two decades in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez. An insatiable drug war, volatile political status and widespread poverty have morphed the city into a hellish breeding ground for murder and femicide, consequently reshaping urban cultural identity. Artists from both Mexico and Texas offer their perspectives on the current situation.Where: Fine Arts Building, room 203, 5015 Holmes St., Kansas City, Mo.When: Through April 5.
It’s free. Get more details.

What: “On Golden Pond” is a poignant comedy about the seasons of life and the bond that can develop between the very young and the very old.Where: The New Theatre Restaurant, 9299 Foster, Overland Park, Kan.When: Through March 31.UMKC Connection: Co-owners Dennis Hennessy and Richard Carrothers are both UMKC graduates and both were presented this year with honorary doctorates by the UMKC College of Arts and Sciences.Get more details.